Electrical piano attachment.



D. P. MUSE.

ELECTRICAL PIANO ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17, 1915.

' 1,229, 1 22. 1 Patented June 5, 1917.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES //V Vt: IV TOR A) P/Waae D. P. MUSE.

ELECTRICAL PIANO ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-ID1915- Pate med June 5,1917.

5 SHEET$SHEET 3- INVENTOR .0. P Made W ,4 TTORNEYS D. P. MUSE.

ELECTRICAL PIANO ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-17.1915.

1,229,122. Patented June 5,1917

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4- WITNESSES INVENTOR M 0. P/Wzwe D. P. MUSE.

ELECTRICAL PIANO ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-17.1915.

Patented June 5, 1917.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5 nwmron 0. P/Vzwe WITNESSES "A TTOR/VEYS DONALD PATRICKmusn, or JUNCTION CITY, ARKANSAS.

ELECTRICAL PIANO ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 17, 1915. Serial No. 45,898.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DONALD P. MUSE,

A a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Junction City, inthe county of Union and State of Arkansas, have invented a new andImproved Electrical Piano Attachment, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved musicalinstrument arranged to permit of playing several instruments such a.violin, and orchestra bells, in harmony with a piano when playing thelatter.

In order to accomplish the, desired result use is made of a piano havingthe usual keys and sounding devices controlled by the keys,

and actuating devices connecting the said piano keys with the soundingdevices of the other musical instruments tosound the latter in harmonywith the piano on playing the keys thereof.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a cross section of the musical instrument Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic view of the same;

Fig.3 is a plan-view of the keyboard of the piano and the circuit closercontrolled by the keys;

Fig. 45 is an enlarged cross section of the same on the line 4-4 of Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section of one of the end supports for the railcarrying the circuit closers;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of one of the violins, the fingeringdevices and the sounding devices for the same;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the same on the line7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross section of the same on the line 88 of Fig. 6and showing more particularly the sounding devices;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional elevation of one of the revolving wheelsfor sounding a violin string, the section being on the line 99 of Fig.8;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8;

Fig. .11 is a similar view of the same on the line 1111 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the orchestra bells and the actuating devicesthereof;

Patented June 5, 1917.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross section of the 1 same on the line 1313 ofFig. 12; and

Fig.14 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line let-14: ofFig. 13. i

The piano A of usual construction is provided with strings B adapted tobe sounded by the hammers O .of the piano action 0 controlled by thekeys D. A rail E see Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5) extends lengthwise within thepiano casing directly above and near the rear ends of the keys D, and onthe said rail E are mounted circuit closers F, one for each key and eachnormally open, each circuit closer being adapted to be closed onpressing the corresponding key D. Each circuit closer F consists of aflat spring F attached to the under side of a block F of insulatingmaterial and adjustably secured to the rail E by a screw F 3 extendingthrough a slot E formed in the rail E. The free end of the spring Frests on the rear end of the piano key D and when the latter is playedthen the spring F is bent upward into engagement with a contact Fpreferably in the form of ascrew secured on the corresponding block FThe upper end of the contact F is connected by a branch wire G with awire G connected with a suitable source of electrical energy Gr (seeFig. 2), the same being shown as a cell of a storage battery. It isunderstood that all the branch wires G of the circuit closers for theseveral keys of the piano are connected with the 'Wire G. Each of thesprings F is connected by a wire G3 with the electromagnet H which inturn is connected by a wire Gr with the electromagnet I connected by aWire G with the electromagnet J connected by a wire G? with the batteryG to complete electric circuits adapted to be closed on playing thecorresponding keys D of the piano. The electromagnets H, I and J aremounted in a suitable frame or asing K adapted to support a number ofinstruments, such, for instance, as a violin L, and orchestra bells N,adapted to be sounded in harmony with the sound produced by the piano onplaying a key. Thus if the note of O is played by are pressing thecorresponding key D the corresponding note 0 is played on one of theinstruments above mentioned. The-electromagnet H is employed for acma ngthe sounding devices N of the orchestra bells N; the electromagnet I isused for actuating the fingering devices 0 for fingering the strings L,L L and L of the violin L, while the electroma is used for movingrevoluble Wheels into engagement with the corresponding strings L, L,L", L for sounding the latter. The several wheels 1 are continuallyrotated and referably driven from an electric motor 5 electricallyconnected with the source of electrical energy G, as plainly indicatedin Fig. 2. 4

Each sounding device N for the orchestra bells is in the form of ahammer attached to the free end of a spring armature lever H for thecorresponding electromagnet H, the armature lever being normally in theposition shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with the hammler suspended above thecorresponding bar, of the orchestra bells N. When the electromagnet H isenergized on closing the circuit by pressing the corresponding piano keyD then the armature lever H is attracted and the hammer N strikes andsounds the bell, the sound corresponding to the sound produced by thepiano. The return movement of the armature lever H is limited by a stoprail H supported by brackets H from the frame/H attached to the casingK. When it is desired to cut out the orchestra bells and only sound theviolin in conjunction with the piano, then the armature levers H arelocked in retracted position by the use of hooks H fulcrumed on thecasing K (see Figs. 13 and 14). The several hooks H are pivotallyconnected with a bar H extending lengthwise of the. casing K and underthe control of the player to normally hold the hooks H out of engagementwith the armature levers H. When it is desired to cut out the orchestrabells, the player shifts the bar H to impart a swinging motion to thehooks H so as to engage the same with the armature levers H and to holdthe-same against movement whenever the corresponding electromagnet H isenergized. Y

The fingering devices 0 for fingering the strings L, L, L and L of theviolin L consist of a number of levers O, of which eight are adapted toengage the first string L of the violin L a semitone apart, six leversengage the second string L a semitone apart, six levers engage thestring L a semitone apart, and a single lever engages the string L atthe note O to correspond to the middle note C of the piano. The leversO. are each provided at one end with an armature I adapted to beattracted by the corresponding magnet I whenever the latter enlergizedwhen the circuit ontepayerp acorrespo ey D. The other end of each leverO is provided with a block 0 a V-shaped groove extending under the L, L,L or L, so that when the lever receives a swinging motion by the actionof its electromagnet I then the block 0 engages the string. A spring 0is connected with each lever O to return the same to normal position assoon as its electromagnet I is de energized, the return swingingmovement of the lever being limited by a stop 0.

Each of the sounding wheels P has its peripheral face formed of hairs,bristles or similar filamentous means P, curved backward, that is, in areverse direction from which the wheel P is rotating, the said hairs Pbeing attached to a sol1d center P secured to the spring terminal P of ashaft P journaled at one end in a bearin R and at lts other end in abearing J orming part of the armature J 2 for a correspondingelectromagnet J. Each armature J 2 for the electromagnet, J is hung onsprings S (see Fig. 11) to normally hold the armature J 2 above thecores of the electromagnet J. When the bearing J is in this osition thecorrespondin sounding wheel is above its correspon ing string L, L, L orL, but when the electromagnet J is energized on closing the circuit, bythe operator pressing the corresponding key D, then the armature J 2moves downward and in doing so imparts a like swinging motion to theshaft P thus moving the wheel P in en agement with the correspondingstring L, L or L, to sound the same whether the latter is in openposition or engaged by the corresponding fingering lever O, aspreviously explained. When the piano key 18 released and the circuit isbroken the armature J 2 returns to normal uppermost position by theaction of the spring S, the upward movement of the armature beinglimited by stop screws S screwing in a bracket R having a keyhole B.through which extends a reduced. portion P of the shaft P to guide thelatter in its downward movement at the time the armature J 2 isattracted by the electromagnet J, as previously explained. It isunderstood that each wheel P rotates continually and by mounting it onthe spring terminal P of the shaft P it is evident that a proper contactof the wheel with its string is had whenever the electromagnet J isenergized.

In order to rotate the shafts P from the motor Q the followingarrangement is made: On the motor shaft Q is secured a sprocket wheel Tconnected by a sprocket chain T with a sprocket wheel T secured on theshaft P carrying the sounding wheel P for the first string L ofthe.violin L. When the motor is running, a continuous rotary motion isgiven to the shaft Pfljust mentioned and the rotary motion of this shaftis transmitted to the other shaft P .by sprocket wheel and chainconnection T to rotate the several shafts P in unison.

, In practice, the piano keys from the midtion to play the low 0 note,while the last lever O for thefirst (E) string L is located at the lastfinger position, as indicated in Fig. 6, to play the high G note whenthe corresponding keys D for low and high G are pressed. 2

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In combination with a piano having keys and sounding devicescontrolled by the said keys, a second musical instrument of the violintype, fingering devices for fingering the strings of the said secondmusical instrument, string-playing devices adapted to engage the saidstrings to sound the same, orchestra bells, electric circuits havingcircuit-closers controlled by the said piano keys, electric actuatingdevices connected with the said fingering devices, electric controllingdevices for the said string-playing devices and electric actuatingdevices for sounding the orchestra bells, the said circuits beingconnected with the actuating and controlling devices to sound a string,and a bell in harmony with the corresponding sound of the piano onplaying a piano key.

-2. In combination with a piano having keys and sounding devicescontrolled by the said piano keys, a second musical instrument of theviolin type, pivoted fingering levers for fingering the strings of thesaid musical instrument, electromagnets for actuatingthe said fingeringlevers, continually driven filamentous sounding wheels adapted to bemoved into engagement withthe said strings of the second instrument,electroma'gnets for moving the said sounding wheels into engagement withtheir strings, and electric circuits having circuit closers controlledby the said piano keys and electrically connected with the saidelectromagnets to sound a string of the second musical instrument inharmony with a string of the piano on playing a piano key.

3. A musical instrument of the violin type having strings, fingeringlevers adapted to finger the said strings, an electromagnet foractuating each fingering lever, sounding wheels adapted to be moved intoengagement with the said, strings, continuously driven shafts havingspring terminals carryin the sounding wheels, a movable bearing or eachshaft, electromagnets, the armatures of which are secured directly tosaid bearings, normally open electric circuits for the saidelectromagnets, and means for closing the said circuits tosimultaneously actuate a fingering device and a bearing for fingering) astring and sounding the same stlrilng y the corresponding sounding weel.

4. The combination with a violin, of pivoted fingering levers onopposite sides of the neck of the violin, an electro-magnet for,operating each lever, a filamentous sounding wheel adapted to be movedinto engagement with each string of the violin, continuously revolvingshafts carrying the said wheels, a bracket provided with slots throughwhich the shafts loosely project, electro magnets, armatures for themagnets, yiel'di'ngly supported from the bracket and in which the saidshafts are mounted.

5. The combination with a piano, of a violin, pivoted and spring-pressedfingering levers, each carryin a block at one end for engaging a string0% the violin, electro-magnets, the armatures -of which are carried bythe other ends of the said levers, string-playing wheels adapted toengage the strings, continuously rotating shafts carrying said wheels,electro-magnets, the armatures of which carry bearings in which the endsof the shafts are mounted, and branch circuits having circuit-closerscontrolled by the keys of the piano, said branch circuits including saidelectro-magnets.

6. The combination with a piano, of a violin, pivoted fingering levers,electromagnets, the armatures of which are on one end ofthe levers,strin playing wheels, continuously rotating iafts carrying the Wheels,electro-magnets, the armatures of which carry hearings in which theshafts are mounted, orchestra bells, electro-magnets, the armatures ofwhich carry springs, sounding devices for the bells secured to the endsof the springs, and branch circuits having circuit closers controlled bythe keys of the piano, said branch circuits including saidelectro-magnets.

7. The combination with a piano, a violin, fingering devices for thestrings, stringplaying devices for said strings, electrical actuatingdevices for the fingering and playin devices and branch circuitsconnected with the actuating devices and having circuit-closerscontrolled by the keys of the tra bells, tuned to furnish a musicalscale, branch circuits, electro-magnets in the said circuits, a springlever carried by the armature of each magnet, a hammer on the end of 5each spring lever, and a hook for engaging each spring lever to lock itin inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence oi two subscribin witnesses.

DO ALD PATRICK MUSE.

Witnesses:

R. L. LEAK, T. B. HENDERSON.

